Time-regulator for photographic shutters.



Patented Aug. 8, I899.

I H. BATE. v T II E REGULATOR FOR PHOTOGBAPHIC SHUTTEBS.

(Applicltion filed Aug. 29, X898.)

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No. 630,644. Patented Aug. 8, [899. H. BATE.

TIME REGULATOR FOR PHOTOGBAPHIC SHUTTERS.

(Application filed Aug. 29, 1898.)

(No Model.) 3 Sheets8haet 2.

m1. 630,644. Patant od Aug. 8, I899.

n. BATE.

TIME REGULATOR FOR PHOTOGBAPHIC SHUTTERS.

(Application filed Aug. 29, 1898.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY BATE, OF VOLVERHAMPTON, ENGLAND.

TIME-REGULATOR FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC SHUTTERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 630,644, dated August8, 1899.

Application filed August 29,1898. Serial No. 689,748. (No model.)

To all whom it NMLZ/ concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY BATE, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain,residing at WVolverhampton,county of Stafiord, England, have invented anew and useful Time-Regulating Device for Pneumatically-ControlledPhotographic Shutters, (for which I have made application for patentinGreat Britain, dated March 28, 1898, No. 7,45%) of which the followingis a specification.

Photographic shutters are commonly pro vided with pneumatically-operated1nechan-' ism whereby they are caused to open and close. In manypneumatically-operated shutters as now commonly made an elastic ballcontaining air is connected with a tube which communicates with anexpansible cushion or equivalent, the office of the cushion being tooperate by its expansion or contraction a spring-lever, which lattercontrols the movement of a shutter, the said shutter deriving motivepower from suitable means-such, for example, as springs. The action ofsuch arrangements is usually as follows: When the elastic ball iscompressed, the cushion is expanded and the lever is moved away from itsnormal position. When the lever is in this position, the shutter hasbeen released and allowed to open and is retained open until the leverhas returned to its normal position, whereupon the shutter is freed andcloses. The lever returns to its normal position when the air from theexpausible cushion has returned to the ball or escaped.

The object of my invention is to provide an adjustable time-regulatingmeans or device which can be readily fitted or applied to existingpneumatically-acting photographic shutters, such as above described,without interfering in any way with the construction of the shutteritself or with its operating mechanism and whereby the exposure to begiven by such shutter can be definitely regulated and limited to somepredetermined period of time and so that after the lapse of that periodthe shutter will automatically close. With this object in view andaccording to my invention I fit between the airpressure ball and theflexible tube co1nmunieating with the expansible cushion or at somepoint in the length of the tube a regulating device which forms part ofthe air-passage from the ball to the shutter mechanism, the said deviceconsisting of two parts, one capable of being moved with a rotary motionrelatively to the other. An air-escape aperture is formed in one part ofthe device, which aperture is gradually closed or opened by relativemovement of the other part. A scale is provided upon one part and anindex upon the other part, by which the said two parts can be relativelyset in a desired position to cause air-pressure to be reduced and theshutter closed after the lapse of a predetermined time, and mechanicalmeans are provided to temporarily hold the two parts in the samerelative position when so set. By this arrangement I am able to apply myautomatically-acting time-closing device to any pneumatically-actingshutters, such as above described, without in any way interfering withthe existing arrangement of the said shutters.

I will now describe several constructions of time-regulating devicesconstructed according to my invention and their application topneumatically-acting shutters.

Figures 1 and 2 are respectively sectional and side elevations of atime-regulating device drawn to a large scale for the sake of clearness.Figs. 3 and 4, 5 and 6, and 7 and 8 are respectively similar views ofFigs. 1 and 2 of devices differing in construction and arrangement.Figs. 9 and 10 are respectively side elevation and cross-section of amodification. Fig. 11 shows another modification, and Fig. 12 illustrates the application of my invention to a photographic shutter.

Referring generally to the figures of the drawings, A is the flexibletube, to the end of which the air-pressure ball B is usually attached,and my time-regulating device, composed of the two relatively movableparts C G, is shown as fitted between the ball B and the tube A orintermediately in the length of the tube itself. The air-passage fromthe ball to the shutter mechanism passes through the device, and thepart 0 of the latter has the airescape aperture D formed therein,whichaperture can be opened or closed by rotary movement of the part C.

E is the index, carried by one part, generally the part 0, andF is thescale, carried by or formed on the other part G. Means are provided, asbefore stated,to temporarily hold the one part 0 in position relativelyto the other part 0, as hereinafter described. Upon pressure beingapplied to the pressure-ball B the air is pressed up the tube A, asusual, and passes through the said tubular piece O,thence to theexpansible-cushion-such as is, forexample, shown at A Fig. 12, or itsequivalent.

Referring particularly to the construction at Figs. land 2, the deviceis composed of two parts-viz., the exterior part 0, to which theflexible tube A is connected, and the interior part O,connected to thepressure-ballB. The part 0 has formed therein an air-escape hole D,which forms a passage between the interior of the tubular piece 0 andthe outer air. The end of the part 0 fits interiorly thesurroundingcylindrical partof C. The upperend of the part 0 isscrew-threaded and screws into the part C. Upon screwing the part G intoor out of the part (J the end of the part C is brought over or removedfrom the aperture D, thereby closing or open ing or partially closing oropening the passage D, which latter is in communication with the centralair channel or passage A. Secured exteriorly to the part 0 is a springindex-finger E, which is arranged so as to bear upon the periphery ofthe part 0, and the finger E passes over a scale F, indicating the timewhich the air after having been compressed from the pressure-ball 13into the cushion A takes to escape back through the escape-hole D, or,in other words, indicates the time of exposure. The scale F upon theperiphery of the part 0 forms a helical path corresponding in pitch tothe pitch of the screw-thread upon the upper end of the part C, theindicating-marks F being in the form of indentations, into which aprojection on the end of the index-linger E takes and tends totemporarily hold the two parts C C in the same relative position afterhaving once been set.

In Figs. 3 and 4:, 5 and 6, 7 and S, and 9 and 10 the tubular part 0 isso formed in one piece that the pressure-ball B is connected to one endand the flexible tube A at the opposite end.

Referring particularly to Figs. 3 and 4c, a projection is formed uponthe part O, having a central air-escape aperture or channel D,communicating with the air-passage A. The air-escape aperture throughthe projection on the part 0 is bored out to have a shoulder upon whichbears the shoulder of a rod C formed with the part C. The part C isscrewed internally and screws upon the tubular projection of the part C,whereby the distance between the shoulder in the aperture D and theshoulder on the part 0 can be regulated, and the size of the air-escapeaperture is thus controlled. An air-escape aperture D is formed in thetop of the part C. A disk F is fitted to the part 0 and an index-fingerE connected to the part 0, the

latter finger E bearing, upon the disk F and passing over a scale outupon the disk indicating the time of exposure.

At Figs. 5 and G a conical pin C on the part 0 takes into the parallelchannel D, the part O and pin C being made in one piece, an aperture Dbeing formed in the head of the part 0. An index-finger E is secured tothe part 0, and a scale F is out upon the part C to indicate the time ofexposure, the index E in all cases throughout the figures forming ameans to locate the two parts in that relative position which it isrequired they should be caused to assume according to the time ofexposure required.

The construction illustrated at Figs. 7 and 8 consists of the employmentof a conical pin C taking into the conical end of the channel D, a diskF being employed upon which a scale is cut over which the index-lingerE, secured to the part 0', passes when adjusting the aperture by whichthe air escapes.

At Figs. 9 and 10 the tubular projection on the part (J is formed with aplain periphery, an air-escape hole D being formed laterally therein.The exit of the hole D is controlled by the part C, the edges of thepart 0 being cut helically, so that upon turning the part 0' the hole Dwill be partially or wholly open, according to the position the part Cis turned to. A scale indicating the length of exposure may be out uponthe part 0 and an index out upon the periphery of the projection of thepart 0. In this instance the friction between the parts 0 and theprojection of part 0 upon which it fits forms the means by which partsare maintained in relative position when set.

At Fig. 11 is illustrated an arrangement adapted to be located betweentwo tubes, one tronrthe pressure-ball B and one from the expansiblecushion A, Fig. 12, or its equivalent. In this construction the plug ofthe part C is of tubular formation, the end fitting into a hollowcylindrical recess bored out in the part 0, and a slot 0 as indicated,is cut out in the end of the plug of the part 0. By screwing the plug ofpart G into or out of the part 0 the air-escape hole formed by the slot(3 decreases or increases accordingly. The air from the central channelA escapes by way of the said slot and thence through the aperture D inthe center of the plug of part 0 to the open air.

In operation upon pressing the ball B air is forced through the channelA and tube A into the expansible cushion A 01- equivalent, Fig. 12. Theball B is held by the operator in its compressed state until the air inthe cushion A has escaped to such an extent, by way of the air-escapehole, that the cushion has assumed its normal condition.

I claim as my invention- 1. In pneumatically controlled photographicshutters, which open by air being compressed within an elastic ball, andclose when pressure ceases, a time-regulating device located between theelastic air-ball and the shutter mechanism, and in communication withthe tube forming the air-passage from the ball to the shutter mechanism,the said device being composed of two parts, one capable of being movedwith a rotary motion relatively to the other to control the air-escapeopening, and divisions upon one part, and an index upon the other partby which the parts can be set in the desired position to cause theair-pressure to be reduced and the shutter to close after the lapse of apredetermined time, and means for holding the two parts in theirrelative positions when set, substantially as set forth.

2. In pneumatically controlled photographic shutters, a time-regulatingdevice located between the elastic air-ball and the shutter mechanism,such device consisting of a tubular part located on the air-passage,

a cylindrical projection on the said tubular part, having a passagecommunicating with the main passage and an air-escape aperture in theWall of the cylindrical projection, a second part fitting stiffly ontothe cylindrical end of the lateral projection and capable of beingturned thereon, and having a cam-formed edge, Which edge in one positioncovers the air-escape aperture, and upon rotation of the second part,the air-escape aperture is gradually uncovered, an index-mark on onepart, and a scale on the other part whereby the relatively movable partsmay be set as required, and are held in position by friction,substantially as set forth.

HENRY BATE.

Witnesses:

W. A. MARSHALL, 1?. \V. Roonns.

